Artifcts and Family History

Photo by Erica Marsland Huynh on Unsplash

I recently received information and a link about Artifcts which is a newer service for preserving information about your “stuff” for family. (And no I didn’t spell it wrong…although spellchecker thinks so!) It appears to be another tool to consider when preserving your family heirloom information. Let’s look.

First, I will say that I have not tried this service but have spent time exploring their site and offerings. Sometimes a new tool is all we need to motivate us to save and share information about family heirlooms. Artifcts is a subscription service with a few levels to choose, depending on your needs.
 
In addition to the services section, check out the inspiration section where you can view public artifcts. I will admit to being a bit puzzled by some of the pictures and items, but we all treasure different things. Here is an example of one that is geared towards family history: A Family Soldier: WWII memorabilia (artifcts.com).
 
You can make your information public or private and depending on the plan you choose; you can choose other people to add to the information. I could see how this would be useful with siblings. Perhaps they have a different remembrance about a favorite toy or Grandma’s apron. They have examples of questions that you might want to answer if you were a family historian or a collector or a traveler to help you begin.
 
Like all sites, use your own judgment when determining if this site will help you to better share the importance of family heirlooms with your own family. Perhaps it will give you the added push to take the time to record and photography key items. Even if this isn’t your cup of tea, think about the importance of letting the next generation know about an artifact and why they might want to keep it when you are gone. Treasure those memories and heirlooms.